“Everyone wants to do something different, but you end up doing the same damn thing,” says Leonardo Di Caprio’s character, Richard, in the film The Beach (based on a novel by Alex Garland). Wait – you thought this post is about a Filoli Gardens family photography session? Well it is. But wait. Richard is talking about travel, of course. How everyone embarks on a trip with the burning hope that their experience will be somehow unique and more special than everyone else’s. If you’ve traveled, you’ll most likely have to agree with Richard. 99% of us follow the well-trodden path laid out for us by ..read more

Planning your San Francisco Family Photography Session I’ve been doing San Francisco family photography for a long time. It’s hard to believe, but I actually started photographing in SF before Facebook, before the iPhone, and definitely waaaay before Instagram. Social media has uncovered and popularized many of the spots that used to be off the beaten path and well kept secrets. If you’re a family looking to plan your San Francisco family photography session, you’re now facing a double challenge: (1) You want to find the best location for your shoot, and (2) You probably don’t w ..read more

2020 was a big lift. How many things did we take for granted before the pandemic? Did we assume that our lives would march forward in some predictable, linear way? 2020 certainly upended my assumptions and priorities. It also challenged me to be more capable on all fronts: as an artist, a business owner, a member of my community, a friend, and a family man. Back in July I sent you a mid-year-in-the-thick-of-the-pandemic update. I was adjusting my photography business to a flood of reschedules, and doing my best to accommodate 2020 couples. I was doubling down on homeschooling my son Dov, and ..read more

How Are You Doing? It’s a simple question. And it’s particularly worth asking these days. Ask your family. Ask your friends. Ask your clients and business partners. Ask yourself. We are, all of us, fighting our own battles. How do we keep our bodies and our minds healthy? How do we distance physically without distancing socially? How do we connect with our friends and loved ones without putting them in danger? How do we educate our kids? How do we push for the change we want to see in the world? How do we save our business? How do we start over, if we have to? If you got my email back in Janu ..read more

Engagement Session Favorites Working in the San Francisco Bay Area is a dream for a wedding photographer. It allows me to create engagement sessions (or pre-wedding sessions for my couples in a huge variety of locations. I like to break down engagement sessions into three broad categories: (1) Iconic San Francisco (2) Organic Locations (3) Urban Locations. Iconic San Francisco Engagement Sessions These are spots such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Legion of Honor, North Beach, Potrero Hill, the Bay Bridge & Embarcadero, Cable Cars. Spots that have easily identifiable SF landmarks. Buildings, s ..read more

Russian Jewish Wedding The Russian Jewish wedding is a unique type of wedding day. I am fortunate to be a San Francisco wedding photographer, so I get to capture weddings of all different cultures and faiths. However, there’s a unique, iconic style to a Russian Jewish wedding. “Opulence – I has it.” There was an indelible DirectTV commercial about 10 years ago, starring a sort of Russian oligarch with a tiny giraffe. Any Russian worth their salt knows this ad. We love it because it truly captures the Russian cultural affinity for elaborate banquets, masculine men, beautiful women, and general ..read more

Pre Wedding Session The pre wedding session is an important occasion for many Indian couples. Often, these highly-educated, successful Indian couples follow a similar path. They nurture long-distance relationships, while pursuing their professional and career goals in different parts of the country. Many couples even plan to meet up for a weekend in San Francisco, precisely to have a special pre wedding photoshoot together. A Natural Photo Studio San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I’m not surprised when couples come from the Midwest and East Coast in order to captu ..read more

San Francisco City Hall Rules Respect the San Francisco City Hall rules and regulations. Trust me: I’ve worked as a San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer for over 10 years. If you heed the San Francisco City Hall rules, it will improve your wedding experience. It will also improve the experience of other brides and grooms. Moreover, obeying the San Francisco City Hall rules ensures that the building will continue to be the treasure it is for many years to come.     The ‘Golden’ Rule This rule is not written anywhere on the City Hall Events website. But if you only remember on ..read more

Microwedding What is a microwedding and why am I talking about it on my photography blog? Why did the term “microwedding” begin trending after the New York Times published an article about it last year? Well, bear with me and let me explain.  If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you know the story: The cost of living is crazy high.  Scarce housing, astronomical home prices, long commutes. So, in this environment, how the heck can you reasonably plan a wedding? Perhaps you’re a millennial couple that’s just planning on starting your lives together. Maybe you’ve been married befo ..read more

The Handsome Groom This article is dedicated to helping you be a handsome groom. I’m sure you’ve heard the clichés before: “My guy doesn’t really care about the photography, he just wants to watch football.” “He’s not really involved in the planning, he just writes the checks and only cares about his bachelor party.” “I’ve been looking for the perfect dress for months, but he’ll just rent a tux from Men’s Wearhouse a couple weeks before the wedding.” “The Groom is just another accessory.” Let’s put a stop to this kind of thinking once and for all. The wedding is a chance for us guys to feel ..read more